Immigration

WASHINGTON — The yearlong effort to overhaul the nation's immigration laws, which had the support of President Obama, Republican leaders and much of American business and labor, was seriously imperiled on Thursday when Speaker John A. Boehner conceded that it was unlikely he could pass a bill.

What "yearlong effort" are they talking about? Politicians have been trying to rewrite the broken immigration laws since at least 2005, when Senators McCain and Kennedy introduced legislation. McCain and Kennedy tried again in 2007, in consultation with President George W. Bush, who supported changing the laws. President Obama has paid lip service to the idea throughout his administration but has chosen instead to prioritize a series of other issues, including health care, "inequality," gun control, authorization to use military force against Syria, and an increase in the minimum wage. Mr. Obama has also increased the number of deportations to record levels. Some effort.